Now, the works of the Spirit, in reference unto the new creation, are of two sorts: — First, Such as were preparatory unto it, under the Old Testament ; for I reckon that the state of the old creation, as unto our living unto God, ended with the entrance of sin and giving
126 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II.
the first promise. Whatever ensued thereon, in a way of grace, was preparatoiy for and nnto the new. Secondly, Such as were actually wrought about it under the new. Those acts and workings of his which are common to both states of the church, — as is his effectual dispensation of sanctifying grace towards the elect of God, — I shall handle in common under the second head. Under the first, I shall only reckon up those that were peculiar unto that state. To make way hereunto I shall premise two general positions: —
1. There is nothing excellent amongst men, whether it be abso- lutely extraordinary, and every way above the production of natural principles, or whether it consist in an eminent and peculiar improve- ment of those principles and abilities, but it is ascribed unto the Holy Spirit of God, as the immedia,te operator and efficient cause of it. This we shall afterward confirm by instances. Of old he was all; now, some would have him nothing.
2. Whatever the Holy Spirit wrought in an eminent manner under the Old Testament, it had generally and for the most part, if not absolutely and always, a respect unto our Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel ; and so was preparatory unto the completing of the great work of the new creation in and by him.
And these works of the Holy Spirit may be referred unto the two sorts mentioned, namely, — I. Such as were extraordinary, and ex- ceeding the whole compass of the abilities of nature, however im- proved and advanced ; and, II. Those which consist in the improving and exaltation of those abilities, to answer the occasions of life and use of the church. Those of the first sort may be reduced unto three heads: — 1. Prophecy. 2. Inditing of the Scripture. 8. Miracles. Those of the other sort we shall find: — 1. In things i:)olitical, as skill for government and rule amongst men. 2. In things moral, as fortitude and courage. 3. In things natural, as increase of bodily strength. 4. In gifts intellectual, — (1.) For things sacred, as to preach the word of God ; (2.) In things artificial, as in Bezaleel and Aholiab. The work of grace on the hearts of men being more fully revealed under the New Testament than before, and of the same kind and nature in every state of the church since the fall, I shall treat of it once for all in its most proper place.
I. 1. The first eminent gift and work of the Holy Ghost under the Old Testament, and which had the most direct and immediate respect imto Jesus Christ, was that of p)rophecy: for the chief and principal end hereof in the church was to foresignify him, his sufferings, and the glory that should ensue, or to appoint such things to be observed in divine worship as might be types and representations of him; for the chiefest privilege of the church of old was but to hear tidings of the things which we enjoy, Isa. xxxiii. 17. ^As Moses on the top of
CHAP. I.] PREPARATORY TO THE NEW CREATION. 127
Pisgah saw the land of Canaan, and in spirit, the beauties of holi- ness to be erected therein, which was his highest attainment ; so the best of tliose saints was to contemplate the King of saints in the land that was yet very far from them, or Christ in the flesh. And this prospect, which by faith they obtained, was their chiefest joy and glory, John viii. 56; yet they all ended their days as Moses did, with respect unto the type of the gospel state, Deut. iii. 24, 25. So did thej^, Luke x. 23, 24; " God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect,'" Heb. xi. 40. That this was the principal end of the gift of prophecy Peter declares, 1 Epist. i. 9-12: " Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto yon : searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you." Some of the ancients apprehended that some things were spoken obscurely by the prophets, and not to be understood without great search, especially such as concerned the rejection of the Jews, lest they should have been provoked to abolish the Scripture itself;^ but the sum and sub- stance of the prophetical work under the Old Testament, with the light, desigTi, and ministry of the prophets themselves, are declared in those words. The work was, to give testimony unto the truth of God in the first promise, concerning the coming of the blessed Seed. This was God's method : — First, he gave himself immediately that promise which was the foundation of the church, Gen. iii. 15; then by revelation unto the prophets he confirmed that promise ; after all which the Lord Christ was sent to make thera all good unto the church, Rom. xv. 8. Herewithal they received fresh revelations con- cerning his iDerson and his sufferings, with the glory that was to ensue thereon, and the grace which was to come thereby unto the church. Whilst they were thus employed and acted by the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of Christ, they diligently endeavoured to come to an ac- quaintance with the things themselves, in their nature and efiicacy, which were revealed unto them;^ yet so as considering that not